Residents in Ventura neighborhood say any maintenance fee charge is too high

A residential development in Ventura is now a fully functioning maintenance assessment district and on July 1 will start paying fees to maintain their units.

Based on the original engineer’s report, the city charged each of the 232 households of Citrus Walk $831 for landscaping, streetlights, parks and other “special benefits.” The district approved by the City Council on Monday imposes significantly lower fees.

But for some residents, any fee is too high because, they say, the maintenance assessment district was illegally formed and charges them for “special benefits” they aren’t receiving.

The maintenance districts charge residents of specific developments for amenities including landscaping, parks and alley maintenance. Fees exclude street paving, sidewalks and water and sewer systems, work taken care of by the city.

The council approved the new rates based on a new engineer’s report. Officials found problems with the initial study, approved by the council in 2006, mainly that it charged everyone the same. Residents are supposed to pay according to the benefits they receive.

The new fees require single-family homes without alley access to pay about $261, single-family homes with alley access to pay $402, single-family homes on Montgomery Avenue to pay $87 and condos to pay $379.

Several residents argued the 232 households should have the chance to weigh in on the new district.

“Why can’t we be allowed to vote on this? This is now really a new maintenance assessment district,” said Richard Weinberg, who moved into the complex in late 2007.

Maggie Subic also said the maintenance district was illegal.

“This is about being double-taxed for a general benefit,” Subic said. “I’m paying 100 percent of the cost of maintenance. How does that make sense?”

Once public comment ended, the council began deliberating. But they were interrupted four times by residents disputing the staff’s report, given by Associate Transportation Engineer V.S. Chandrashaker.

Each time, Mayor Mike Tracy asked the crowd to be quiet.

“Sir, you’re interrupting the meeting,” Tracy told Weinberg, who had stood up, paperwork in hand, apparently to provide more information.

Councilman Carl Morehouse asked whether the matter could be delayed because of all the concerns — namely, that the revised engineer’s report came out just over a week ago, giving residents little time to study it.

City Attorney Ariel Calonne said the city had hoped for a more collaborative process and acknowledged the report went to residents “much later than we’d hoped for” but that the district was legally created.

Calonne said a delay would affect the city’s finances because the city must turn over the assessments to the county by July 5 to avoid an $80,000 hit to the general fund.

Since the city assumed the assessment district from The Olson Co. in August 2011, it has paid the maintenance fees.

Calonne doubted more time would lead to a satisfactory outcome.

“What I’ve heard tonight is relatively firm opposition to every aspect of maintenance assessment districts,” Calonne said. “That would lead me to conclude that further discussion is not likely to lead to a Kumbaya moment.”

The council asked whether Olson had given residents proper information about the assessment district before they moved in.

“They were notified, but it was done in a crafty way,” Calonne said.

Councilwoman Cheryl Heitmann said she knew it has been a “frustrating experience” for residents.

“Surely, I hope in the future we have a better process,” she said, one that includes more accountability over how developers market their properties.